Single station capping machine



I Filed April 12, 1955 ,July 15, 1958 e. H; DIMOND 2,842,914 SINGLEsmzou CAPPING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR.

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SINGLE. STATION CAPPING MACHINE Filed April 12, 1955 e Sheets-Sheet 5INVENTOI/Q. 6:307:96 H. iv'eon' i BY g e gmfiflw July 15, 1958 e. H.DIMOND 2,842,914 SINGLE STATION CAPPING MACHINE v Filed April 12, 1955 6Sheets-Sheet 6 up A A PICK UP CV I V sPmDLc v oowmz-\ O 7 0 v. cAP FEEDe I 6 fi :3 I \l I even TRAVEL I 1 amp 7.96 I RELEASE.

/o 6 4 i L "l Q'g 4; m N 5 {2 R E g g m GRIPPER OVERTRAVEL L'o T P R112553;? A REST PAWL ENGAGEMENT-fi CANCELS TR|PPER BY UNDERCUT RE$TORECAP FEED F AND STRIPPER IN V EN TOR. George H Drinoncf nited StatesPatent Cfiice r 2,842,914 Patented July 15, 1958 SINGLE s'rArroN CAPPFNGMACHINE George H. Dimond, East Aurora, N. Y., assignor to Con-=selidated Packaging Machinery Corporatien, Buffalo, N. Y., a corporationof New York Application April 12, 1955, Serial No. 500,750 3 Claims.(Cl. 5367) This invention relates in general to capping machines andparticularly to a new and useful single station capping machine or acapping machine having a stationary capping station with improved meansfor automatically discontinuing the feeding of caps whenever nocontainer is present at a capping station.

A machine constructed in accordance with this invention is animprovement over stationary station machines of this nature heretoforeproposed, particularly with respect to the provisions for presentingeach cap in succession into operating engagement with a capping chuckand to the provisions for automatically discontinuing the feeding ofcaps and the ejection operation of the capping chuck when no containeris present at a capping station.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a cappingmachine including means for feeding and presenting caps in successioninto operative engagement with a capping chuck for placement onto thenecks of containers to effect capping thereof and for subsequentdisengagement of the chuck from said cap, and novel means fordiscontinuing the feeding and presenting of caps to said chuck and forpreventing ejection of any cap present in said chuck whenever nocontainer is present at a capping station.

It is a further object to provide cap feeding means for a cappingmachine including a cam controlled oscillating transfer arm timed toreceive caps periodically discharged in succession from a supply thereofand to move each of said caps into position for operative engagementwith a capping chuck and then withdraw to permit the chuck to apply thecap to a container, and means for rendering said transfer arminoperative Whenever no container is present at the capping station.

A still further object is to provide a capping machine including agripper normally engageable with a container positioned at the cappingstation to hold the container in place and to permit the cap-feeding andapplying mechanisms to be activated and effective when no container ispresent to enter into said capping station to deactivate the cap feedingmeans and to prevent any cap held by the cap applying mechanisms frombeing ejected therefrom.

A further object of this invention is to provide a capping machine ofthe character stated which includes a gripper particularly adapted foruse in connection with flexible containers of the squeeze type and soconstructed that when a container is present at a capping stationcontainer-contacting motion of the gripper will be arrested prior toreaching the position at which the container would become squeezedthereby and at which the cap feeding and cap ejecting means would berendered inoperative.

A further object is to provide a machine of the character describedwhich is simple in design, rugged in construction and economical tomanufacture.

With these and other objects in view, the nature of which will becomemore apparent, the invention will be more fully understood by referenceto the drawings, the accompanying detailed description and the appendedclaims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a single station capping machineconstructed in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary, vertical section taken along the line 22 ofFig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectiontaken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary horizontal section taken along the line 5--5 ofFig. 2 and oppositely disposed with respect to Figs. 3 and 4;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary side elevation of those portions of themechanisms shown in Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary vertical section taken along the line 77 of Fig.2;

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7 but showing the capping chuck in acap discharge position;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary horizontal section taken along the line 99 ofFig. 6;

Fig. 10 is a timing diagram of the machine;

Fig. 11 is a plan view showing a modification of the container gripperwhich is adapted for use with squeeze type soft bottles;

Fig. 12 is a vertical section taken on the line 12-42 of Fig. 11; and

Fig. 13 is a view similar to Fig. 12, but showing the parts when nobottle is present at the capping station. Referring to the drawings indetail, the invention as illustrated is embodied in a capping machinehaving a stationary station for placing caps onto the necks ofsuccessively presented containers and includes a base A, cap sorting andfeeding mechanism generally indicated at B, a turret assembly carryingthe capping chuck and timing mechanisms generally indicated at C, acontainer intake and discharge conveyor generally indicated at D, and adriving mechanism generally indicated at E.

The driving mechanism E includes a motor in provided with a variablepitch drive pulley 11 and is mounted on a base 12 which is pivotallyconnected to the turret C. A belt drive 14 and spiral gears 16 transmitpower from the motor to a drive shaft 18. The rotative speed of theshaft 18 may be changed by varying the angular position of the base 12through the use of a hand wheel 21 provided for that purpose. The shaft13 is mounted in suitable bearings on a lower spindle plate 22 and upperspindle plate 24 which in turn are adjustably affixed to a main spindle26' mounted on the main base A and having its lower portion threaded.The lower spindle plate 22 has a depending hub which bears against athrust bearing 28 slidably engaged on the spindle 26 and mounted in theupper end of a sleeve 30 which in turn is threaded on the lower portionof the main spindle 26 for vertical adjustment therealong. An eccentric32 provided with an upstanding hub or sleeve 3 is rotatably mounted onthe spindle 26 between the lower and upper spindle plates 22 and 24 andis spaced from the lower spindle plate 22 by a washer 36. The verticalposition of the upper and lower spindle plates 22 and 24 and the sleeve34 may be varied by adjusting the position of the sleeve 30 on thespindle 26'.

A cylinder cam 38 is keyed to the sleeve 34 for rotation therewith andis provided with gear teeth 39 around the lower periphery thereof whichmesh with a driving pinion it? affixed to the shaft 13. An invertedcylindrical-segment presser or compression cam 2 is pivotally connectedto a hub 44 which is keyed to the sleeve 34 immediately above the hub ofthe cylinder cam 38. The cam segment 42 is constantly biased downwardlyby a spring 46 maintained in compression by means of a bolt and washer48 afiixed to the cylinder cam 38. The pivotal connection between thecam segment 42 and the hub 44 is effected through a yoke 50 formedintegrally with the cam segment and a horizontally disposed pivot pin 52extending therethrough and through a lug on the hub.

The shaft 18 is provided with a thrust bearing 54 positioned above thelower spindle plate 22 and with a hand wheel 56 which is secured to thelower end ofthe shaft and which may be used to operate the machinemanually for start-up or adjustment purposes. The upper end of the shaft18 is provided with a driving pulley 58 affixed thereto and which isbelt connected with a pulley 62 affixed to a main driving shaft 64 ofthe cap starting and feeding mechanism B for operation thereof.

A bracket 66 for the sorter B is positioned around the upper end of thespindle 26 and rests on the spindle plate 24 and is pin-connected to thelatter.

The lower spindle plate 22 extends laterally and outwardly beyond theupper spindle plate 24 and is provided with an indexing shaft 68 mountedtherein. The indexing shaft 68 is indexed or rotated 90 at intervals bymeans of an eccentric, pivot arm and ratchet arrangement. Thisarrangement includes a strap 70 secured around the eccentric 32 andpivotally connected to the medial portion of a lever arm 72 which inturn has one end pivoted on a stud 74 fastened to the lower spindleplate 22 and its other end pivotally connected to one end of a link 76.The link 76 has its opposite end pivotally connected to one end of ahubbed plate 78 Which is oscillatably mounted on the upper portion of aratchet sleeve 80 keyed to the shaft 68. The hubbed plate 78 is providedwith a detent arm or pawl 82 at the end opposite the link 76 which isbiased inwardly toward the shaft 68 by a spring 84. The pawl 82 isarranged to engage one of four equally-spaced teeth 83 along theperiphery of a ratchet 81 formed integrally with the ratchet sleeve 80.The hubbed plate 78 is held by a nut 86 threadably engaged with theratchet sleeve 80. The lever arm 72 is oscillated by the eccentric 32,resulting in reciprocation of the link 76 to cause the pawl 82 to indexthe shaft 68 through a 90 arc during each 360 rotation of the eccentric.

On the lower portion of the ratchet sleeve 80 is a friction-faced brakeplate 88 which is biased upwardly by a spring 90, the tension on whichmay be increased or decreased by means of an adjustably positioned nut92 which is threaded onto the lower portion of the ratchet sleeve 80.Friction washers 94 are interposed between the lower spindle plate 22and the ratchet 81 and between the spindle plate 22 and the frictionbrake plate 88. The brake plate 88 and the ratchet 81 under theinfluence of the spring 90 together act as a brake to prevent rotationof the shaft 68 except when an indexing movement is taking place.

Intake star wheels 96, 96 are rigidly afiixed to the lower end of theshaft 68 and are provided with four containerreceiving pockets whichreceive containers in succession from the conveyor D and move them intooperative association with the mechanism of the turretC. The containersare guided along their arcuate paths during intake and discharge fromthe turret C by two horizontally disposed vertically spaced arcuateguide plates 98, 98 which are supported by a plate 100 mounted on ahubbed plate 102 which is secured to the spindle 26 by set screws 104.The conveyor assembly includes an endless belt 105 (shown schematicallyin the drawings) which is continuously moving to advance containers tothe star wheels 96, 96 at the intake end and to move them out ofengagement therewith at the discharge end thereof.

A capping chuck 106 is mounted on the lower end of a hollow spindle 108mounted for vertical reciprocation and rotation in the spindle plates 22and 24 and is positioned at the capping station located midway aroundthe guide plates 98. The capping chuck is of known design which includesa central stripper plunger or rod 110 extending upwardly inside thespindle 108 and which effects release 4 of the chuck jaws to disengage acap held thereby. The capping chuck 106 operates in a known manner toengage a cap and thereupon thread it onto a container and then disengagethe cap.

The chuck 106 is constantly rotated by a gear 114 alfixed to the hollowspindle 108 which meshes with the gear portion 39 of the constantlydriven cylinder cam 38. The spindle 108 is provided with a cross head oryoke 115 having a projecting portion terminating in a roller camfollower 118. The roller follower 118 engages the cylinder cam 33 duringthe major portion of a capping cycle and moves into engagement with thepresser cam segment 42 whenever downward movement of the capping chuck106 is stopped by contact with a container which causes the rollerfollower to become disengaged from the cylinder cam 38. Each time thiscondition is reached the cam segment 42 becomes effective to apply andmaintain proper capping pressure on the chuck during application of acap to the container.

One end of the cross head 116 is pin-connected to a guide rod 120 andthe other end is mounted for reciprocation within defined limits on acontrol rod 122. The guide rod 122 and the control rod 120 are free toreciprocate through holes in the spindle plates 22 and 24. The controlrod 122 is provided with a compression spring 124 located around itsintermediate portion. The compression spring 124 is biased between thetop of the cross head 116 and an upper washer 126 held in position onthe control rod 122 by a pin 128. A second washer 130 positioned belowthe same end of the cross head determines the lower position of the yoke116 on the control rod 122. The yoke 116 may therefore reciprocaterelative to the control rod an amount limited by the upper washer 126and the lower washer 138 under the restraint of the spring 124. Theupper end of the control rod 122 is provided with an arm 132 whichextends outwardly therefrom and is provided with a hole into which thetop of the stripper plunger 110 is threaded and secured as by a bolt134. The lower end of the control rod 122 below the spindle plate 22 isprovided with a collar 136 secured thereto. Since the stripper plunger110 must extend downwardly into the capping chuck 186 a sufiicientdistance in order to actuate known mechanisms to disengage a cap fromthe jaws 112 and since the stripper rod is attached to the control rod122. through the arm 132 it is easily seen that moving the control rodupwardly a sufficient distance will prevent the stripper rod 110 fromoperating the cap-disengaging mechanisms in the chuck 106. Automaticmeans are provided to prevent cap ejection when no container is presentin the capping station by changing the position of the control rod 122in a manner to be described more fully hereinafter.

In accordance with the invention there is provided means fortransferring caps in succession from a discharge chute 138, arrangedbelow the cap sorting and feeding mechanism B, to a position below thecapping chuck 106 and in operative association therewith. The chuck isreciprocated under the influence of the cam 38 into engagement with thecap, and the cap transferring means is then withdrawn. The captransferring means includes a cap transfer arm 140 freely mounted at oneend on a rock shaft 142 which extends through a hollow bearing boss 144in the spindle plate 22. The cap transfer arm 140 is provided at itsother end with a capreceiving circular portion 146 having acap-centering stud 148 protruding from the top thereof. An adjustablescrew stop 149 is provided on the side of the arm 140 and butts againstthe sleeve 30 when the arm is subjacent the capping chuck 106. A drivingarm 150 is aifixed to the shaft 142 and is provided with a dependingabutment 152. The transfer arm 140 is biased by a spring 154 against theabutment of the driving arm 150 so that both normally move together as aunit. However, the spring 154 provides a give-away means in the eventthe transfer arm is restrained against return movement as by engagementwith the capping chuck 106. The upper end of the shaft 142 carries acrank arm 156 which is provided with a roFl-er cam follower 158 at itsouter end which engages a hubbed disc cam 160. The cam 161i is afiixedto the sleeve 34 and actuates the roller follower 158, the shaft 142,andthe driving'arm 156 to oscillate the transfer mm between thedischarge chute 138 and the capping chuck 106.

Rigidly affixed to the shaft 142 is a bell crank 162 having one arm 164extending outwardly therefrom and connected to one end of a spring 166which is secured at its other end to a stationary portion of the machineso as to constantly urge the shaft 142 in a counterclockwise directionas viewed from the top and maintain the cam follower 158 in contact withthe cam 160. The other arm 16$ of the bell crank 162 extends outwardlyin the opposite direction and is provided with a curved outer surfacehaving a notch 170 at one end thereof.

in accordance with the invention sensing means are provided which areresponsive to the presence or absence of a container at the cappingstation and are effective both to discontinue the feeding of caps by thetransfer arm 140 and to stop cap ejection from the chuck 106 whenever nocontainer is present at the capping station.

The sensing means includes a gripper generally designated 172 which, inone embodiment, is generally rectangularly shaped in horizontalcross-section and is provided with a container-engaging front end shapedto permit holding of a container thereby during capping operations. Thegripper is ainxed at its rear end to one end of a long curved arm 174which is pivotally connected at its opposite end to a stud 176 securedto the plate 102. Intermediate the length of the arm 174 is a pivot pin17% to which is pivotally connected one end of a link 186. The link 180is connected at its opposite end to a gripper toggle arm 182 rigidlymounted on a rock shaft 184.

The rock shaft 184 extends upwardly and is provided with a sleeve 136positioned over the top end of the shaft and pin-connected thereto. Thesleeve 186 carries a freely rotatable gripper-actuating rock shaft 188which is restrained in the sleeve against vertical movement by a setscrew 1% which rides in a groove on the rock shaft 188. The rock shaft188 extends upwardly through the spindle plate 22 and is provided at itsupper end with a crank arm 192. The crank arm 192 is provided with aroller cam follower 194 at its outer end which engages a disc cam 196keyed to the sleeve 34 to oscillate the rock shaft 188. The cam follower194 is urged against the cam 196 by a spring 198 fastened at one end toa stationary portion of the machine and at its other end to a crank arm2430 aifixed to the shaft 188 subjacent the spindle plate 22.

A spring retaining cup 210 is mounted on a crank arm 212 atfixed to theshaft 188 between the sleeve 186 and the crank arm 200. The cup 210carries a compression spring 214 held at the open end of the cup by awasher 216 and a nut 218 threaded onto the threaded end of an eye bolt220 which extends through the spring 214- and a hole in the cup 210 andis fitted around an upstanding stud 222 rigidly affixed to an arm 22formed integral with and extending outwardly from the sleeve 186.Movement of the roller follower 194 to a high spot on the cam 196results in the counterclockwise movement of the shaft 188 as viewed fromthe top and the similar movement of the arm 212 with the eye bolt 220.The eye bolt bolt is effective to pull the arm 224 in a similardirection through the medium of the stud 222. Since the stud is affixedto the arm 224 on the sleeve 186, the shaft 184 is similarly moved. Thegripper 172 is thereby caused to move into engagement with a container.Once the gripper 172 contacts the container its forward movement isstopped thereby. The stopping of the gripper prevents further rotationof the shaft 184 and hence stops movement of the stud 6 222 which isafiixed thereto. The cam 196 is arranged to cause slight additionalrotation of the shaft 188 after the gripper arrives at the normalcontainer contacting position. This movement or the shaft 188 ispermitted by the spring 214 which is compressed after motion of the stud222 is stopped.

During most operations a container is present at the capping station toarrest movement of the gripper 172. However, in the event no containeris present it is desirable to stop cap feeding and in addition preventthe ejection of a cap already in the chuck 166 and which might fall intoand clog the operating mechanism. For this purpose a pawl or detent arm226, provided with a tooth or hook 228 at its outer end, is freelymounted on the shaft 188. A long rod 236 is secured to the pawl 226 at aposition near the shaft 188 and extends outwardly therefrom to a normaloperating position between the collar 136 and the spindle. plate 22. Therod 230 is biased by a spring 232 against a stop 234 which depends fromthe spindle plate 22. The stud 222 is provided with an adjustable setscrew 236 which is adjusted to contact the pawl 226 at a position of thestud 222 corresponding to a container-engaging position of the gripper172. However, when no container is present to stop the movement of thegripper and it is moved beyond its normal container-engaging position,the stud 222 will be moved further by the eye bolt 220 under theinfluence of the earn 1% so that the set screw 236 will push the pawl226 against the tension of its associated spring 232 and cause the hook223 to engage the notch 170 on the arm 168. This engagement stops therotation of the shaft 142 and the movement of the transfer arm 146. Itis timed to occur when the transfer arm is subjacent the capping chute138, so that no additional caps are fed therefrom. The cam follower 158is held in a position equivalent to the high lift of the cam so that itwill not be disturbed in this position by the rotation of the cam.

In addition to discontinuing the feed of caps the sensing means iseffective to stop cap ejection of the chuck 166. This is accomplishedwhen the rod 236 is moved out of position between the collar 136 and thespindle plate 22 and this occurs whenever the pawl is moved intoengagement with the notch since the rod is attached thereto. In theoperating position the rod 23% holds the control rod 122 downwardly adistance suflicient to move the stripper rod 110 which is movabletherewith into position to efiect cap ejection from the capping chuck166. However, when the rod 23%? is moved out from between the collar 136and the spindle plate 22, the stripper rod 110 is moved upwardly adistance sutiicient to discontinue its ejecting actuation on the cappingchuck.

The rod 230 is returned to a position between the collar 136 and thespindle plate 22 by the tension of the spring 232 whenever the gripperagain contacts a container and the pawl 226 is released. The collar 136is moved down wardly from the spindle plate 22 to permit the entrance ofthe rod 231 therebetween during the portion of the capping cycle atwhich the spindle 168 is moved down wardly sufliciently to bring thecross head 116 to bear against the Washer 136 and move the control rod122 and the collar 136 downwardly.

A modified embodiment of the gripper 172 particularly adaptable forsqueeze type bottles of containers is shown in the drawings in Figs. llto 13. The gripper is provided with means to stop its forward movementbefore it can move far enough after container engagement to squeeze thecontainer and to stop the cap feeding and cap ejecting mechanism. Thesemeans include an offset bell crank generally designated 238 which ispivotally mounted on the forward part of the gripper 172 and includes anoffset pivot porition 24f arranged to extend horizontally through thegripper. The gripper 172 in this embodiment is made with a generallyU-shaped contamer-engaging forward portion 242 and a rear bracket 7portion 244. The pivot 240 extends through the solid part of theU-shaped portion 242, and an arm 246 ex tends from the pivot 240downwardly to a position in front of the U-shaped portion of thegripper. An upper arm 248 extends from the pivot 240 backwardly andnormally rests on a nut stop 250 on the bracket portion 244 of thegripper. The arm 248 is provided with a heavy holding nut 252 whichweighs the arm 248 down against the stop 250 and causes the arm 246 tobe lifted in the container-engaging recess in front of the gripper 172.

The upper guide plate 98 is provided with an abutment notch 254 arrangedto permit holding contact of the nut 252 with the notch whenever the arm248 is elevated sufficiently. Thus when the gripper is moved toward acontainer in the capping station the container will be gently contactedby the arm 246 which will be moved backwardly by the container as thegripper advances. Movement of the gripper will be stopped as soon as thearm 246 moves sufficiently to rotate the bell crank 238 and raise thearm 248 to bring the nut 252 to a position in horizontal alignment withthe notch 254 and thereafter further gripper movement brings it intolocking contact against the abutment notch 254 to stop further forwardmovement of the gripper.

The operation of the machine is as follows: Caps are dumped into ahopper at the top of the cap sorting and feeding mechanism B whereinthey are oriented in a common facing direction and passed downwardlyinto the discharge chute 138. At the same time containers are fed alongthe intake portion of the conveyor D to the star wheels 96, 96,whereupon they are rotated 90 to a capping station below the cappingchuck 106. The cap transfer arm 140 as it moves backwardly from theprevious cycle under the influence of the cam 160 trips a cap ejectionlever 240 which operates in a known manner to permit a single cap 242 tomove downwardly in the chute 138 into engagement with the side of thestud 148 of the cap transfer arm 140. Thereupon oscillation of thetransfer arm 140 completely withdraws a cap from the discharge chute andtransfers it to a position subjacent the capping chuck 106. The cappingchuck 106, under the influence of the cam 38, is reciprocated intooperative engagement with the cap and thereupon lifts the cap slightlyas the cap transfer arm 140 is moved backwardly again by the driving arm150 through the medium of the spring 152. Fig. 10 of the drawings showsthe timing of the spindle cam 38, cap feed cam 160 and indexing cam 196and the eccentric 32.

When the cap is in position in the capping chuck 106 a container hasbeen moved into the capping station. Thereupon the capping chuck isreciprocated downwardly over the container to execute complete cappingof the container. The container is held in position in the cappingstation by the gripper 172 which is operating under the control of thecam 1% to move inwardly a distance sufficient to contact a container.

In the event that no container is present in the capping station thegripper will move inwardly further than if a container were present.This additional inward movement causes the set screw 236 to push againstthe pawl 226 so that the tooth 228 falls into the notch 170 on the arm16S and stops oscillation of the transfer arm 140 after the latter hasmoved backward to a position underneath the chute 138. In addition therod 230 attached to the pawl 226 is moved out of its normal positionbetween the disc washer 136 and the spindle plate 22. The movement ofthe long rod 230 permits the control rod 122 and the stripper rod 110 tomove upwardly and prevents the latter from extending downwardly into thechuck 166 far enough to effect cap ejection during the cycling of thechuck.

Thus it is seen that this invention provides a capping machine withsimple means to discontinue the feeding of caps from a chute supply tothe capping chuck and to discontinue cap ejection from a chuck when forany reason no container is fed through the machine to the cappingstation. These improved devices permit the machine to operatesatisfactorily at all times and eliminate the possibility of jammingwhich would result if either the caps or containers were not in properposition for capping. In addition, the improved gripper of applicantprovides an excellent means to handle soft containers such as thesqueeze type without compressing them and ejecting the contentstherefrom or otherwise damaging them.

It is, of course, to be understood that various details of arrangementsand proportions of parts may be modified within the scope of theappended claims.

I claim:

1. In a capping machine the combination of means for advancing a seriesof containers to a capping station, capping means effective to seat eachcap operatively engaged thereby onto each successively advancedcontainer, means to feed individual caps in succession into operativeassociation with said capping means, means to control the operation ofsaid capping means and said feeding means, and sensing means movableinto and out of the path of travel of said containers and operablyconnected to said control means and being effective to cause saidcontrol means to stop said cap-feeding means and to effect retention ofa cap by said capping means whenever no container is present at saidcapping station.

2. In a capping machine the combination of means for advancing a seriesof containers to a capping station, capping means effective to seat eachcap operatively engaged thereby onto each successively advancedcontainer, means to feed individual caps in succession into operativeassociation with said capping means, means to control the operation ofsaid capping means and said feeding means, and a cam-actuated grippereffective to move into and out of engagement with each containeradvanced to said capping station below said capping means and effectivewhen no container is present at said capping station to move beyond itsnormal containerengaging position to cause said control means to stopsaid cap-feeding means and to effect retention of any cap held by saidcapping means.

3. A capping machine comprising, a main base, means for advancing aseries of containers, capping means effective to seat each capoperatively engaged thereby onto each successively advanced containerand to effect disengagement of a cap from said capping means, a capdischarge chute, means for supplying caps to said cap discharge chute,an oscillatable cap transfer arm positioned above said main base foroscillation between said cap discharge chute and said capping chuck andbeing effective during oscillation in one direction to withdraw a capfrom said chute and to transport said cap into operative alignment withsaid capping means, means to oscillate said cap transfer arm, acam-actuated container gripper effective to move into engagement witheach container as it is advanced to a position in registry with saidcapping means and to move beyond the normal container-engaging positionwhen no container is present, and control means connected with saidgripper and responsive when the gripper advances beyond said normalcontainer-engaging position to render said transfer arm inoperative andto prevent ejection of a cap from said capping means. v

4. A capping machine comprising, a main base, means for advancing aseries of containers, capping means effective to seat each capoperatively engaged thereby onto each successively advanced containerand to effect disengagement of a cap from said capping means, a capdischarge chute, means for supplying caps to said cap discharge chute,an oscillatable cap transfer arm positioned above said main base foroscillation between said cap discharge chute and said capping chuck andbeing eflective during oscillation in one direction to withdraw a capfrom said, chute and transport said cap into operative alignment withsaid capping means, means to oscillate said cap transfer arm, acam-actuated container gripper having a container-engaging portion andeffective to move into and out of engagement with each container as itis advanced to a position in registry with said capping means and tomove beyond the normal containerengaging position when no container ispresent, a stationary abutment mounted on said base adjacent saidgripper, and a bell crank pivotally mounted on the container-engagingportion of said container gripper and having a first arm projectingahead the containerengaging portion of said gripper and a second armhaving a detent thereon, the first arm being effective upon contacting acontainer to rotate said bell crank and move the second arm thereof intoposition for holding engagement with said abutment to thereby stop theforward movement of said gripper.

5. A capping machine comprising, a main base, means for advancing aseries of containers, a rotatable and reciprocable capping chuck havingcap-retaining jaws therein and supported over said main base, means forrotating and cyclically reciprocating said capping chuck, a stripper rodadjustably positioned in said chuck and effective upon upward movementof said capping chuck when said stripper rod is in a downward positionto open the retaining jaws of said capping chuck and when in an upwardposition to permit the retaining jaws of said capping chuck to remainclosed, means to control the positioning of said stripper rod andsensing means moveable along a path intersecting the path of saidadvancing containers and connected to said control means and beingeffective to hold said stripper rod in an upward position whenever nocontainer is present.

6. A capping machine comprising, a main base, means for advancing aseries of containers, capping means effective to seat caps operativelyengaged thereby in succession onto each successively advanced containerand to effect disengagement of a cap from said capping means, a cappingstation on said main base immediately below said capping means, meansfor transferring individual containers from said advancing means to saidcapping station, a cap-discharge chute, means for supplying caps to saiddischarge chute, a cap transfer arm mounted above said main base foroscillation between said chute and said capping chuck and beingeffective to transport each cap in succession from said chute intooperative alignment with said capping means, means responsive to themovement of said cap transfer arm to strip a cap from said chute ontosaid transfer arm, means to oscillate said cap transfer arm, acam-actuated container gripper effective to move into and out ofengagement with each container advanced to said capping station, meansto stop forward movement of said gripper upon the latter contacting acontainer, said means permitting the continued forward movement of saidgripper when no container is present in said capping station, and meansresponsive to the continued forward motion of said gripper when nocontainer is present to prevent oscillation of said transfer arm.

7. A capping machine comprising, a main base, means for advancing aseries of containers, a rotatable and reciprocable capping chuck havingcap-retaining jaws therein and supported over said main base, means forrotating and cyclically reciprocating said capping chuck, a stripper rodadjustably positioned in said chuck and effective upon upward movementof said capping chuck when said stripper rod is in a downward positionto open the retaining jaws of said capping chuck and when in an upwardposition to permit the retaining jaws of said capping chuck to remainclosed, means to control the positioning of said stripper rod, a cappingstation on said main base immediately below said capping means, meansfor transferring individual containers from said advancing means to saidcapping station, a cap discharge chute, means for supplying caps to saiddischarge chute, a cap transfer arm mounted above said main base foroscillation between said chute and said capping chuck and beingelfective to transport each cap in succession from said chute intooperative alignment with said capping means, means responsive to themovement of said cap transfer arm to withdraw a cap from said chute ontosaid transfer arm, means to oscillate said cap transfer arm, acam-actuated container gripper effective to move into and out ofengagement with each container advanced to said capping station, meansto stop forward move ment of said container gripper upon the lattercontacting container and to permit the continued forward movement ofsaid gripper when no container is present in said capping station, andmeans responsive to the continued forward movement of said gripper whenno container is present to prevent oscillation of said transfer arm andto hold said stripper rod in an upward position.

8. A capping machine comprising, a main base, means for advancing aseries of containers, a rotatable and reciprocable capping chuck havingcap-retaining jaws therein and supported over said main base, means forrotating and cyclically reciprocating said capping chuck, a stripper rodadjustably positioned in said chuck and effective upon upward movementof said capping chuck when said stripper rod is in a downward positionto open the retaining jaws of said capping chuck and when in an upwardposition to permit the retaining jaws of said capping chuck to remainclosed, means to control the positioning of said stripper rod, a cappingstation on said main base immediately below said capping means, meansfor transferring individual containers from said advancing means to saidcapping station, a cap discharge chute, means for supplying caps to saiddischarge chute, a cap transfer arm mounted above said main base foroscillation between said chute and said capping chuck and beingeffective during oscillation in one direction to withdraw a cap fromsaid chute and transport said cap into operative alignment with saidcapping means, means to oscillate said cap transfer arm, a cam-actuatedcontainer gripper having a container-engaging portion and effective tomove into and out of engagement with each container advanced to saidcapping station and to move beyond the normal container-engagingposition when no container is present at said capping station, astationary abutment mounted on said base adjacent said gripper, a bellcrank pivotally mounted on the container-engaging portion of saidgripper and having a first arm projecting ahead of thecontainer-engaging portion of said gripper and a second arm having adetent thereon, the first arm being effective upon contacting acontainer to rotate said bell crank and move the second arm thereof intoa. position for holding engagement with said abutment to thereby stopthe forward movement of said gripper, and means responsive to thecontinued forward movement of said gripper when no container is presentto prevent oscillation of said transfer arm and to hold said stripperrod in an upward position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNlTED STATES PATENTS1,775,255 Risser Sept. 9, 1930 2,066,259 Everett Dec. 29, 1936 2,106,365Tiano Jan. 25, 1938 2,434,053 Resina Jan. 6, 1948

